Please join us on December 11th at 4:00 p.m. for a unique workshop dealing with the use of social media in the school environment. “Using Social Media for Good: What School Leaders Need to Know” will feature national expert Eva Vega-Olds who will share up-to-date strategies for motivating youth to use social media and technology positively and with a mind to improving school climate. There is no cost for this informative session which is open to school leaders at all levels. MORE

C’mon CT KiDS, let’s get moving! Registration is open for KiDSMARATHON 2015, an amazing life fitness program that can be easily implemented in any school setting. KiDSMARATHON is an eight to ten week training program for students aged 7-12. Participants complete a full marathon by running incremental distances each week and finishing the final mile in front of hundreds of fans at a regional site! MORE

Registration for the popular Middle Level Student Leadership Conference, which will be held on January 7, 2015, at Trinity College in Hartford, will close on December 10th. This year's event will include a feature presentation by Dr. Michael Fowlin, noted actor/psychologist/poet, who will address the group on issues of race, discrimination and personal identity.

Throughout the day, student-leaders will: • participate in team-building activities with students from other schools; • respond to role-play situations; • talk with recognized student leaders from Connecticut high schools and universities; • share leadership experiences and ideas with peers; and, • go back to their schools and share new knowledge, ideas, and initiatives with decision-makers. MORE

Register now for the Elementary Arts Banquet coming in February! This festive event is designed to recognize elementary students who have demonstrated outstanding artistic ability in performing or visual arts as well as citizenship and cooperative skills. Each elementary school is invited to select two students to be honored. MORE

The newly established “Battle of the Fans” is a contest designed to encourage positive fan behavior from students and to highlight the great things schools are doing to promote sportsmanship and supportive fan conduct. Students are invited to create and submit a 3-minute video which captures fans in action and spotlights their school’s commitment to sportsmanship and school spirit. MORE

STATE BOARD ACTS ON NEW SOCIAL STUDIES FRAMEWORK AND TEACHER CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The CT State Board of Education on Wednesday approved measures related to Connecticut’s new social studies framework and its teacher certification requirements. The board granted initial approval of the elementary and secondary social studies frameworks, which have been in development for over a year and a half. The board also approved a policy that includes a provision to adjust the timeline for the implementation of a new teacher certification requirement. MORE

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance for K-12 schools that offer or want to offer single-gender classes. In response to numerous inquiries about the legality of single-gender classes, OCR issued guidance that charts a path for schools on how they can provide boys-only or girls-only instruction while remaining in compliance with civil rights laws. MORE